Can you imagine what running was like in decades past?
The shoes were made of leather, the tracks were cinders, the sport wasn’t popular; the list goes on and on.
But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t lots when can still learn from legends of that age.
One of the top American runners of the 1960s was Bob Schul, who won a
gold medal in the 5000-meter race at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, is on our
podcast today to share some of that knowledge.
In 1964, Bob set an American record for 5000 meters and a world
record for 2 miles. Bob went on to coach thousands of runners, including
a stint at Wright State University in his native Ohio from 1996-2007.
He has also published an autobiography and a training manual.
Bob’s training was very different from most programs in use today, as
were the surfaces he ran on and the equipment he used. Only recently
have parts of the system Bob used to train come back into the running
mainstream, and of course all of the equipment has completely changed.
In this podcast, Bob and I discuss:
His training under legendary Hungarian coach Mihaly
Igloi and what you can take from it to apply to your running,
specifically how to develop your speed.The experience of competing at an Olympic Games, which is truly an amazing storyHow to train by effort and make the small adjustments by listening to your body.Shoes and tracks in the 1960sWe’d like to thank Bob for his time and wish him the best of luck with the athletes he is currently coaching.
If any of Bob’s experiences or advice resonate with you, we’d love to
hear about it. We also love to hear what you all think about our
podcasts.
You can leave a comment on this page or on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening.Advice From the Past: An Interview With Olympic Champion Bob Schul